Data Protection Declaration

The following declaration shall provide you with information about the acquisition and use of your data when you visit our website.

CONSENT AND WITHDRAWAL OF CONSENT

By using this website, you will be treated as having given your consent to the data collection, use and disclosure practices prescribed in this privacy policy. We will collect, use and disclose your personal data to fulfill the purposes for which you have submitted your personal data and such other purposes related to it. In so far as we use your personal data for a purpose that according to relevant data protection laws requires your express consent, we will seek your express consent in writing or in such other prescribed forms.

You may at any time withdraw your consent to our collection, use and disclosure of your personal data by sending us a simple message. You can find the contact e-mail and the Disclaimer at the end of this text. We shall cease collecting, using and disclosing your personal data unless we are required to do so under the relevant data protection laws

DISCLOSURE AND DATA TRANSFER

Personal data may be transferred and disclosed to third parties where it is necessary to meet the purpose for which you submitted your data and such other purposes related to it. By submitting your information, you consent to any such transmission and disclosure of your personal data. We will however, take such measures (e.g. via contractual mechanisms) as may be required under relevant data protection laws to ensure personal data that has been transferred continue to be protected by third parties.

Personal data may also be disclosed where we are obliged to forward the data due to the request of a federal or state authority in the context of mandatory national legislation or when it necessary to protect and/or enforce our rights and those of our customers.

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

We shall upon your request provide you with access to your personal data. Access shall include confirmation as to whether or not your personal data has been collected, and if so how it has been used. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may have to deny your request where such request would be in contravention of the relevant data protection legislations.

ACCURACY OF DATA

If you would like to review, change or delete information you have provided us with, please send us a message to the contact email at the end of this text. We encourage you to inform us of any amendments to your data so that we may keep a complete and accurate record.

COOKIES

Cookies are small text files that are stored on the computer system of the user. With the help of these text files, it is possible to analyze the user performance when visiting the website and for example use it as targeted product recommendations and interest-based advertising. Mostly, this information includes: browser type and version, operating system, referrer URL (source of a link), IP address (host name of the computer used, abbreviated if necessary to anonymize), time of server request. Some cookies are deleted after closing the browser (so-called session cookies). Other cookies are stored on the terminal device used and enable the relevant browser to recognize the website at the next visit (so-called persistent cookies).

We are, for example, using cookies to store the credentials of website users. We are further using Web Beacons (so-called tracking pixels), Silverlight Application Storage and Flash cookies (Local Shared Objects, short LSO).

You may configure your browser so that you are informed about the use of cookies and then decide whether to accept cookies or you may prevent cookie storage via the respective browser settings. However, this may lead to functional impairments and limitations when using our site. There is also the possibility to use special programs or internet services for anonymous surfing.

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses so-called “Cookies”. The information generated by the cookie about your website usage (including your IP address) will be transmitted to a Google server in the US and stored there. If the IP anonymization is activated on this website, your IP address will be shortened within the Member States of the European Union or other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases there is a transfer of full IP address to a Google server in the US and is shortened there. Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services connected to the website activity and internet usage. Unless required by law, or where such third parties process the acquired data on behalf of Google, Google will transfer this information if necessary to the third party. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.

In addition, you can prevent Google from acquiring data generated by the cookie and resulting from use of the website (incl. your IP address) and processing these data by downloading and installing the browser plugin that is available from the following link: [ http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de ].

The acquisition by Google Analytics can also be prevented by selecting the link below:

disable Google Analytics (javascript:gaoop_analytics_optout())

As a result, an opt-out cookie is set, which prevents future acquisition of your information when using the website

On our website, Google Analytics is expanded to the code “gat._anonymizeIp ();” to ensure an anonymous acquisition of IP addresses (so-called IP Masking).

On our website we use so-called social plugins (“plugins”) of the micro-blogging service Twitter. This service is operated by Twitter Inc., 1355 Market St, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA (hereinafter “Twitter”). The plugins are to be recognized by a Twitter logo (in the form of a blue “Twitter-bird”). An overview of the plugins of Twitter and its appearance is available at: https://twitter.com/about/resources/buttons

When you access our website, which includes a Twitter plugin, your browser will directly communicate with the Twitter servers. The content of the Twitter plugin will be sent directly to your browser and integrated into the page. Due to this integration Twitter can detect that your browser has accessed the corresponding page of our website, even if you do not have a profile on Twitter or are currently not logged in to Twitter. This captured information (including your IP address) will be transmitted directly from the browser to the Twitter servers in the US and stored there.

If you are logged on Twitter during the use of the site, your usage will directly be associated with your Twitter account. Pressing the “Tweet” button, the corresponding information is also sent directly to the servers of Twitter and stored there. Acquired information will further be published on your Twitter account and there appear to your contacts.

Purpose and scope of data acquisition as well as further processing and use of data by Twitter as well as your rights and setting options for protecting your privacy resulting from the privacy notices of Twitter are available at the following address: https://twitter.com/privacy

In order to prevent the acquired data to directly link to your Twitter account, you must log out at Twitter before entering our website. However, loading Twitter plugins can completely be prevented by using add-ons for your browser, such as the script blocker “NoScript” (http://noscript.net/).

The plugins are provided with an appropriate inscription of the respective provider and recognized as such. When you access our website, which contains such plugin, your browser will directly communicate with the servers of the respective provider. The content of the plugin is transmitted directly to your browser and integrated into the page. Due to this integration it can be detected that your browser has accessed the corresponding page of our website, even if you do not have a profile with the relevant provider or are not currently logged there. The acquired information (including your IP address) will be transmitted directly from the browser to the server of the provider concerned at its headquarters and stored there. When you have an account with the concerned provider and are logged in there, the provider may assign your visit to your account. The data may possibly be published in the social network of the respective provider concerned and be displayed to other users. For details, refer to the terms of use of the respective provider.

Purpose and scope of data acquisition as well as further processing and use of data by the providers concerned as well as your rights and setting options for protecting your privacy can be retrieved from the provider:

In order to use the site without registration and transfer of your data, you can not only disable cookies but also enter the website on behalf of an anonymization service or a so-called Do-not-track tool (e.g. http://donottrack.us/) or you might set suitable add-ons for your browser (egg. http://noscript.net/ ), particularly for blocking plugins.

CONTACT AND NEWSLETTER

The information requested through our contact form is necessary in order to process your request. To order our newsletter, we need your e-mail address and optionally other personal data for reasons of security. You may subsequently unsubscribe from receiving our newsletter by sending us a simple message to the contact email at the end of this text. The transmitted data is treated as confidential.

DELETION OF DATA

We commit ourselves to delete the personal data processed for own purposes, as soon as knowledge for the fulfillment of the purpose of storage is no longer required. A deletion will be replaced by a blocking, as far as deletion opposes legal, statutory or contractual retention periods, there is reason to believe that the legitimate interests of the data subject would be adversely affected by a deletion or deletion is, due to the specific type of storage, not possible or only possible with disproportionate high cost. In addition, you can always block, correct or delete the data we acquired. A deletion occurs also when you withdraw your consent for the acquisition, processing and use of personal data. If the withdrawal occurs during a business transaction, the deletion takes place immediately after its completion. Further legal deletion or blocking obligations remain unaffected.

EXTERNAL LINKS

Our site contains links to third party websites which have been included solely for informative purposes. The compliance of these websites with relevant data protection laws is beyond our influence and therefore, we assume no responsibility for the practices of such third party websites. Hence, please inform yourself of the data protection policies of the relevant websites before using or disclosing any data on such websites.

SECURITY

We take pride in protecting your personal data and shall take commercially reasonable measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, disclosure and improper use. Despite our best efforts no storage system or data transmission can be guaranteed as fully secure. Therefore, you agree and acknowledge that we cannot be held responsible for any unauthorised access, disclosure and improper use that is beyond our control.

CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

We reserve the right to amend this privacy policy from time to time without notice. Any amendments to this privacy policy are effective as of the date the updated privacy policy is posted on this website. We encourage you to check our privacy policy on a regular basis.

CONTACT

If you have any questions, complaints or requests (including requests to revoke your consent) in relation to this privacy policy, please contact us at the email address at the end of this text.

Further, please note that there may be instances in which we may be prevented by relevant data protection laws from complying with your request and accordingly, have to decline your request.